[jkheit]

http://jalopnik.com/googles-cars-now-drive-better-than-you-do-1452624842/@robertsorokanich

As sad as it is to say it, we'll probably get to a point where a computer is faster around a race track than a human, if we're not there already. You might just hear your kids say "yeah, Senna was great, but my new iPhone 27S is better."P

It's not difficult to believe that the computer will drive better than 90% of all US drivers, as 90% of all US drivers are atrocious.

I have a difficult time believing that the robots will drive better than really good drivers. I might believe it on the track, as the car can be really tuned, but not in traffic, or a race where perceiving and modeling others erratic behavior for split second decisions is needed.

Here's a crude preview of how it might look (skip to 2:15

 

[Wtdoom]

It's the beginning of the end , run ,run for your lives . Women and children first !

 

[nh4]

I dunno, I think this might be an instance where the nanny parents and helicopter moms might save us. I know there was another thread about Gen Y and their robot cars, but the truth is it would mean a computer glitch goes from this:

http://www.masterincomputerscience.com/articles/top-5-computer-glitches.html

to this:

http://mentalfloss.com/article/26053/6-worst-car-accidents-recent-us-history

I don't see how Timmy*, raised to believe his bike will cause immediate suffering and an early death unless he dons his full suit of armor and helmet with airbags is now going to blindly trust the machine to move him about safely.

I also think that if robo cars were allowed to say, I dunno, participate in my morning commute, with thousands of unpredictable, angry, and under caffeinated meat-based drivers, they would cause more problems then they'd solve. A computer will only do what it is programmed to do, and I think there are way too many edge cases in the average commute through Massachusetts for one to make it through without crashing at least once.

The flip side would be to have an AI car, one that can learn. I'd argue that would be even worse... Your average robo car would likely learn a lot more about road rage than self preservation in a commute. The end result would likely be a lot of the Gen Y'ers in the breakdown lane with smashed up robot cars dissing the flawed system while they picked iPad glass out of their teeth and tried to figure out how one gets pee marks out of khakis.

-nh4.

* = No offense to anyone here named Timmy

 

[jkheit]

I dunno, I think this might be an instance where the nanny parents and helicopter moms might save us. I know there was another thread about Gen Y and their robot cars, but the truth is it would mean a computer glitch goes from this:

http://www.masterincomputerscience.com/articles/top-5-computer-glitches.html

to this:

http://mentalfloss.com/article/26053/6-worst-car-accidents-recent-us-history

I don't see how Timmy*, raised to believe his bike will cause immediate suffering and an early death unless he dons his full suit of armor and helmet with airbags is now going to blindly trust the machine to move him about safely.

I also think that if robo cars were allowed to say, I dunno, participate in my morning commute, with thousands of unpredictable, angry, and under caffeinated meat-based drivers, they would cause more problems then they'd solve. A computer will only do what it is programmed to do, and I think there are way too many edge cases in the average commute through Massachusetts for one to make it through without crashing at least once.

The flip side would be to have an AI car, one that can learn. I'd argue that would be even worse... Your average robo car would likely learn a lot more about road rage than self preservation in a commute. The end result would likely be a lot of the Gen Y'ers in the breakdown lane with smashed up robot cars dissing the flawed system while they picked iPad glass out of their teeth and tried to figure out how one gets pee marks out of khakis.

-nh4.

* = No offense to anyone here named Timmy

I see where you're going with this nh, but I disagree. The second link was likely caused by some asshat eating a danish the size of his head.

Yes, there will be the initial, it's not safe arguments. But then the stats will kill the debate. Thats what google is already doing in the submission in the original document. Saying, see, the robots are safer than even pro drivers. And i bet in the aggregate they will be.

Elon Musk had a great PR moment, which shows one of the many reasons he's awesome as a CEO. The first Tesla bursts into flames. The public and press go apeshit and the stock dives. Headless chicken public is mounting its pitchforks, he calmly reads them stats, that per capita, regular cars burst into flames 10x more frequently than his cars. Issue goes away.

Same will happen here, as I truly believe dogs can drive better than most americans, so I have every confidence robots will do even better. And the stats will bear out that even with glitches, the robots are better drivers than the docile-to-the-point-of-being-stoned-yet-manically-bad incompetents we allow on the roads in the US.

Hell, to be honest, I look forward to it. Perhaps the left lane will once again be available for passing instead of the new defacto right passing lane in most of the US. Let the incompetents have the nanny drive them, and I'll continue on, old school, doing my own driving.

As always, I reserve my constitutional right to be 100% wrong about everything.

 

[nh4]

Well, I think the robots will drive much better if there are only other robots driving. I think the human drivers, and our ability and propensity do drive in a totally illogical ways stand to create issues for the computers which will only have the logic they are given to compensate.

And how dare you bring up the Constitution while insinuating that driving and eating a head-sized danish is somehow wrong?

-nh4.

 

[ergoproxy]

Don't robots do everything better than humans? Especially things that are dangerous or require strength or precision. Driving is more than mechanics though. It's nuance, manners, sport, instinct, adaptability, style. If your wife is in labor, do you press the "rush" button that calls off the local po-po? On the other hand, texting and driving will soon be acceptable, and perhaps a quick nap...

 

[Walt of Destiny]

Don't robots do everything better than humans? Especially things that are dangerous or require strength or precision. Driving is more than mechanics though. It's nuance, manners, sport, instinct, adaptability, style. If your wife is in labor, do you press the "rush" button that calls off the local po-po? On the other hand, texting and driving will soon be acceptable, and perhaps a quick nap...

Until SkyNet becomes self aware, takes over and enslaves us all.

What will Mr. Musk do then? Huh?

 

[jkheit]

Curl his mustache. It's a trap!

 

[Walt of Destiny]

I truly believe dogs can drive better than most americans,

Hmmm...

http://youtu.be/BWAK0J8Uhzk

 

[jkheit]

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